Witchlands Series

Rating: 5/5 stars

It’s no secret that Susan Dennard’s Witchlands series is my favorite series.

The Witchlands series has new covers that JUST released and, guys…I love them. I’m not usually ever a fan of redoing covers, especially if I already own some of the books (especially for an ongoing series), they aren’t available in hardcover, or if they just look SO different. But this was done masterfully. These redone covers have the same scene/depiction as the originals but were recreated with a new artist in the same style that artist chose for Bloodwitch–which was my favorite cover. The first two covers were beautiful but these…these are stunning.

 

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The best part: the series is continuing in this style and it still fits in with the original covers if you don’t want to buy the new ones also. They’re available as HC right now and will continue as PB so it fits with EVERYONE. A booklover’s dream. I hope that Sightwitch will get a cover update, too, *fingers crossed*. However, the boxed set of Truthwitch, Windwitch, & Bloodwitch is here and you can even get it signed and a map poster is included. I’m definitely adding this to my collection.

Each book follows the main characters Safi, Merik, Iseult, & Aeduan, also with Vivia (added in Windwitch), Ryber (added in Sightwitch), and Stix (added in Bloodwitch); however, each book has a Main Character who has a larger character arc and more POV scenes. This style is similar to The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer and is wonderful for larger plots/worlds.

Here’s a breakdown of the series so far (skip if you want):

1. Truthwitch (Safi)
2. Windwitch (Merik)
3. Sightwitch (Ryber)
   • Novella, different POV style, BUT VITAL to the plot. *Must* be read before Bloodwitch to understand some hints because of revealed secrets in this book.
4. Bloodwitch (Aeduan. A.K.A Baeduan<3)
5. TBD (It’s going to be Isuelt and I’m going to cry)

If you like ____ you’ll like The Witchlands, and vice versa:

• Avatar the Last Airbender
  • Elemental magic
  • Friendships
  • Large main cast
  • SLOW BURN
  • Rediscovering one’s whole world view (ZUKO)
• Throne of Glass
  • (large) Fantasy world
  • Magic
• Graceling
  • Fantasy world
  • Slow. Burn
    • Enemies-to-lovers
• The Lunar Chronicles
  • Multiple POV
  • each character gets a book
  • THE ACTION AND PLOT OMG

Truthwitch drew me in from the first page. It opens with best friends and Threadsisters Safi and Iseult crouching on a cliff overlooking a path and a carriage–one they planned to steal from. But, turns out, the guy who tipped off Safi (whom is a rare and undocumented Truthwitch, she can sense truth/lies whether in words or appearances or actions) lied about who owned it. And she hadn’t deciphered the lie, because truth is a tricky thing as readers (and Safi) learn as the story and series progresses. The carriage is owned by a very prestigious man and is surrounded by guards but the girls’ bombs are already laid and they have no way to escape unseen before the carriage hit their explosives.

But these girls think on their feet–they’ve been taught to–and in an attempt to weave around the men, a Bloodwitch (rare and thought by Safi to be myth, though most people think the same about her) catches her scent and knows her witchery immediately. And once a Bloodwitch catches your bloodscent, they can find you anywhere. In the struggle, the two girls escape, but have to lie low to avoid arrest. This, and the complication of the Bloodwitch, force the girls on separate paths. Their friendship is a huge element of this book and whole series and I absolutely love it.

Another favorite and unique part of this is Iseult being a Threadwitch, meaning she can see people’s threads (heartthreads for love, threads that bind to another such as Thread Families) and they change color based on people’s emotions, but a Threadwitch cannot see her own threads.

I can’t rave about this book and series enough. It envelops you. The characters touch your heart. The way that Susan Dennard writes is astounding, truly. Before this, Throne of Glass was my favorite series, but this one steals my heart.

Susan Dennard is a master at pace and making the reader always enjoy the scene. SO MUCH happens throughout each of her books–think Game of Thrones and how each episode was jam packed with events and vital yet short scenes. I wasn’t even half way through Bloodwitch before I already wanted to reread it! It’s my favorite, partially because of the main character, but also because of the bloodscents, which are beautiful and eloquently described.

There are only four books that have ever ruined other books for me and Truthwitch (and, of course, Bloodwitch) is one of them. I tried for months to read other books afterward but nothing grabbed me like Truthwitch did, nothing had the same feeling. That feeling is all Susan Dennard.

All in all…read this series if you like any of the things and/or shows/books/series listed in my above bullet points.

Any trigger/content warnings:

• Mild cursing. Mostly words made up from within the Witchlands world.
  • “Void” synonymous to “hell”, etc.

 

Long May She Reign

 

Rating: 3.5–4 stars out of 5

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would recommend it easily. It was refreshing and had a different take on a royalty-style YA novel.

First off, I want to address the lower rating on Goodreads and why I feel that is. The description on the book gave me a different feeling and idea going in than I ended up with. It gives the feeling that there will be action and adventure, whereas there is mostly Freya’s journey to become a good Queen, learning who to trust, conducting experiments, and solving the mystery of who killed the whole court. Let me make this clear: I was not disappointed at all but led in a different direction than I thought. This book is labeled ‘fantasy’ because it is another world and in an older time than current, it seems, but I would recommend it to people who like:

• cute but awkward main characters with social anxiety
• people who would die for their cats
  • yes Freya literally endangers her life for Dagny
• Female friendships!!
• slow burn relationships (because YES)
• science
  • it’s not heavily, it’s just in there and fun!
• political intrigue
  • again, not heavy but a fair amount of the plot
• mystery

Nerdy & Wordy

Hello!

If you’ve read my About Me, you’ve learned that I am an avid book reader and even a B&N bookseller. I’m buying books (incredibly) faster than I can read them–but I hope to create this blog of book reviews to help readers find their next book or see an honest review. Recommendations are my absolute favorite part of my job, so ask away if you want any!

I mostly read YA (mostly the Fantasy & Sci-Fi), but I also read other sections of YA, Adult Fiction, Romance, (some) Mystery, and have recently been branching into Science Fiction and Fantasy outside YA. Check out my Goodreads for a complete list.

For fun below I’ve posted pictures of my YA bookcases before I packed them all into boxes *cries* so you can get a feel of my reading tastes.

This blog will probably not be consistently posted, as I work, write books, and we have recently moved. BUT, I hope that it can be helpful and even fun!

Happy reading!